An album of dense pop that justifies the band's place among top songsmithing contemporaries like Cass McCombs and James Mercer, as well as greats like David Bowie. But the band is able to bypass the "songwriter" label by delivering a much more collective sound -- you know, like a BAND. African high-life guitars are countered with New Wave wash; the sound of a band daring to keep its pallet open to most any influence -- from U2 to THE FEELIES. If THE WALKMEN weren't afraid to go out in Bermuda shorts and flip-flops, you may have a sound close to this... like it could be Phil Spector's mid-70's 'lost recordings' inspired by the depth of second-line drum bands from New Orleans. It's been said that FOREIGN BORN is an anthem band without "the" fist-pumping anthem, which may be true. And this is OK, because the trade-off is for an album far more cerebral and sustaining. The thing with summer anthems is that they only last a summer, FOREIGN BORN delivers the soundtrack for the backyard BBQ of the ages.